I Shall Believe
by Jack E. Peace
Summary: Follow up to the story "Strong Enough." Though he is still grieving over the loss of his brother, Terry finds strength in the person he's offered comfort to some many times.


Disclaimer: Duh. All the songs belong to Sheryl Crow. 

A/N: Okay so, since Chase is now the only one who reads my stories, this one is dedicated to him. It's not as good as the Action Romance Movie, but I hope it's up to your standards. This is a follow-up story to "Strong Enough". Hope you like it. 

Night had fallen again, just as it did every night, the only thing that was normal about the life the handful of survivors were living in Crossroads Mall. As usual, the survivors were grouped around Hallowed Grounds, their unofficial hang out and meeting place, with the exception of a few, together but mostly going about their own separate tasks. Steve, who was in a particularly obnoxious mood, was flicking beer nuts across the counter at Ana, trying to see how long it would take her to whack him across the head with the bottle the nuts were coming from. But Ana was doing her best to ignore the man, moving out his range as she talked to Michael and Tucker. Terry, who had slipped into his own state of self-isolation after seeing proof that his brother had become one of the creature then seeing the walking corpse killed, was sitting in one of the chairs farthest away from the rest of the group. There but only physically. 

Andre and his pregnant wife, Luda, were absent from the group, as they always were, and so was Nicole, who had left after they had eaten dinner. Since Terry had seen his brother killed, he had distanced himself from everyone, including Nicole, who was beginning to take it offensively and had started giving him just what he had wanted. Distance. She had retreated to the electronics store, and they could hear music playing from the speakers that were attached to the stereo systems inside. Every so often, Nicole would sing along with the words, which always sent Monica into a fit of laughter. 

At the moment, Nicole was singing along with a Sheryl Crow song, her usually dainty voice singing along with Sheryl Crow in almost perfect harmony. But not quite, something Monica was only too quick to point out, somewhat spurred on by the fact that Terry ignored every word she said. 

"Sounds like your girlfriend is trying out for _American Idol_." Steve remarked, his voice filled with sarcasm as he flicked another nut at Ana. She retrieved the nut from its spot on the counter and flicked it back at him, smiling innocently when the tiny missile struck the man in the center of the forehead. 

Steve frowned and decided that the flying beer nuts had lost their appeal, setting the bowl aside. Terry stood up and headed away from Hallowed Grounds, going nowhere in particular it appeared. Michael and Ana watched him go and the salesman turned to face the blonde. "Do you think we should do something to, you know, try and snap him out of it?" He questioned. 

Ana shook her head. "There's nothing we can do. He'll come out of it when he's ready." She answered. They had all gone through phases like that, and she figured it was all part of the healing process. 

Terry hadn't heard their comments as he entered the electronics store, his entrance easily drowned out by the music playing from the large speakers. From where he stood, he could see Nicole, who had her back turned to him, stepping in rhythm with the music as she filed her nails, singing. "The matches and the buds and the clean dirty cars. The sun and the moon." She sang, her voice cracking a little as she tried to match the high note but she didn't seem to mind. Terry smiled slightly. "All I wanna do is have some fun, I got a feeling, I'm not the only one. All I wanna do-" Nicole spun around almost gracefully and stopped singing and moving abruptly when she saw him standing there, watching her with a slight smile on his face. "Terry!" She cried, indignantly, her cheeks turning as red as her hair. "What are you doing?" 

"Sorry." Terry apologized, only because it seemed like the right thing to do. He wouldn't trade the sight of Nicole dancing and singing to Sheryl Crow for anything. "You were just so cute." 

Nicole studied him intently, her embarrassment turning into anger. "You've been avoiding me but suddenly I'm cute?" She raised an eyebrow. "I just don't get you Terry." She turned away from him and headed over to the CD player, changing the song. "I understand that you're upset about your brother, but you can't push everyone away." She turned to face him. "You taught me that." 

Terry couldn't meet her gaze, looking instead at the fabric patterns on the carpet. He knew what she said was true and at the moment, he couldn't find a way to verbally justify his actions; when he saw his brother killed, something inside of him realized that the only people, aside from Nicole, that he had ever loved had died. He felt like loving her at that moment would mean losing her too. 

But Terry didn't say those things as he continued to stare at the carpet, listening to the slow ballad that had taken the place of the more upbeat song Nicole had been singing with earlier. Nicole looked over at him, as though trying to gauge his reaction to her words and obviously didn't like what she saw because she looked away again. Instead of thinking about how it made her heart ache to think of how Terry had treated her lately, after they had grown so close and she had grown to realize that she loved him, Nicole tried to concentrate on the words of the song. It had always been her favorite. 

_Come to me now and lay your hands over me. Even if it's a lie, say it will be all right and I shall believe... _

Terry finally looked up, moved by an emotion he hadn't be aware of until that moment to go to her and take her in his arms. His actions surprised Nicole and she jumped slightly when he put his arms around her, having long since given up on feeling his touch for a while. She looked up at him, her gentle eyes probing his and suddenly she knew that everything had been forgiven.

_Broken in two and I know you're on to me. That I only come home when I'm so all alone but I do believe..._

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Nicole." Terry whispered, her cheek pressing against hers, arms tightly around her waist. "I'm just afraid of losing you too." 

_That not everything is gonna be the way you think it outta be. It seems like every time I try to make it right it all comes down on me. Please say, honestly, you won't give up on me, and I shall believe... _

Nicole pulled away so that she could face him. "You're not going to lose me Terry." She said, as though the whole notion was absurd. "I promise. And I never break a promise." 

_Open the door, show me your face tonight. I know it's true, no one heals me like you and you hold the key... _

Terry pulled her to him again, so that her head was resting against his shoulder. Nicole wrapped her arms around him as well, pressing her face against his shoulder and closing her eyes. "Tell me things are going to be all right again. Please." Terry whispered, burying his face in Nicole's strawberry hair. For the first time in his life, he was drawing strength from someone else, from the same person he had given comfort to so often. 

_Never again will I turn away from you. I'm so heavy tonight but your love is so right and I do believe... _

"Everything's going to be all right." Nicole assured him, not moving from her position, wrapped in his comforting arms. "Eventually everything is going to be all right again." 

_That not everything is going to be the way you think it outta be. It seems that every time I try to make it right it all comes down on me. Please say, honestly, you won't give up on me... _

For a long time they stood together, silent, the only comfort available coming from each other. And, for the first time since Crossroads had become his haven, Terry believed what Nicole said. 

_And I shall believe... _


End file.
